Polygamy speech claims denied by Dyson

Welfare Minister Ruth Dyson's office says she never made a speech which has been reported in the first edition of a new on-line newspaper.

Ian Wishart's publication, TGIF Weekly, said the speech was delivered to Victoria University students on May 6 and in it Ms Dyson suggested Labour was developing policy that would recognise polygamy and polyamory -- arrangements where people have multiple wives or husbands.

The report, published on Friday, said the speech was evidence of a hidden agenda of social engineering.

A spokesman for Ms Dyson told NZPA the speech was posted on a government website in error.

He said the speech was written for Ms Dyson but she rejected it.

"She never said it," the spokesman said.

"They (the comments) were in the speech that was posted but she never gave that speech.

"It just unfortunately crept through the system and went out as a speech she delivered, but it wasn't."